9,584 research outputs found
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Ecological thresholds and large carnivores conservation: Implications for the Amur tiger and leopard in China
The ecological threshold concept describes how changes in one or more factors at thresholds can result in a large shift in the state of an ecosystem. This concept focuses attention on limiting factors that affect the tolerance of systems or organisms and changes in them. Accumulating empirical evidence for the existence of ecological thresholds has created favorable conditions for practical application to wildlife conservation. Applying the concept has the potential to enhance conservation of two large carnivores, Amur tiger and leopard, and the knowledge gained could guide the construction of a proposed national park. In this review, ecological thresholds that result from considering a paradigm of bottom-up control were evaluated for their potential to contribute to the conservation of Amur tiger and leopard. Our review highlights that large carnivores, as top predators, are potentially affected by ecological thresholds arising from changes in climate (or weather), habitat, vegetation, prey, competitors, and anthropogenic disturbances. What's more, interactions between factors and context dependence need to be considered in threshold research and conservation practice, because they may amplify the response of ecosystems or organisms to changes in specific drivers. Application of the threshold concept leads to a more thorough evaluation of conservation needs, and could be used to guide future Amur tiger and leopard research and conservation in China. Such application may inform the conservation of other large carnivores worldwide
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Enhanced Raman Detection System based on a Hollow-core Fiber Probe design
This paper focus on an enhanced Raman-based detection probe and its performance evaluated. The probe employs a hollow-core fiber design to allow liquid micro-sample to be analyzed. The hollow-core fiber is used both to transmit the light signal used to excite the sample and to collect the Raman scattering signal received from the micro-sample under analysis. In order to maximize the performance of the system, various parameters have been studied experimentally, including the diameter and the height of the liquid sample in the probe. The aim has been optimizing both as a means to enhance the Raman scattering signal received from the liquid sample. As a result, a Raman-based detection probe using a reflector approach was developed and evaluated. This design enabling a greater area for interaction with the sample to be formed and to concentrate the excitation light into it. This then increases the efficiency of the light-liquid interaction and improves the collection efficiently of the forward Raman scattering light signal. With the use of this design, the detected Raman scattering signal was increased by a factor of 103~104 over what otherwise would be achieved. A key feature is that with the use of a hollow-core fiber to collect the liquid sample, only a very small volume is needed, making this well suited to practical applications where limited amounts of material are available e.g. biofluids or high value liquids. The system designed and evaluated thus provides the basis of an effective all-fiber Raman-based detection system, capable of being incorporated into portable analysis equipment for rapid detection and in-the-field use
Adversarial Sparse-View CBCT Artifact Reduction
We present an effective post-processing method to reduce the artifacts from
sparsely reconstructed cone-beam CT (CBCT) images. The proposed method is based
on the state-of-the-art, image-to-image generative models with a perceptual
loss as regulation. Unlike the traditional CT artifact-reduction approaches,
our method is trained in an adversarial fashion that yields more perceptually
realistic outputs while preserving the anatomical structures. To address the
streak artifacts that are inherently local and appear across various scales, we
further propose a novel discriminator architecture based on feature pyramid
networks and a differentially modulated focus map to induce the adversarial
training. Our experimental results show that the proposed method can greatly
correct the cone-beam artifacts from clinical CBCT images reconstructed using
1/3 projections, and outperforms strong baseline methods both quantitatively
and qualitatively
Non-damping oscillations at flaring loops
Context. QPPs are usually detected as spatial displacements of coronal loops
in imaging observations or as periodic shifts of line properties in
spectroscopic observations. They are often applied for remote diagnostics of
magnetic fields and plasma properties on the Sun. Aims. We combine imaging and
spectroscopic measurements of available space missions, and investigate the
properties of non-damping oscillations at flaring loops. Methods. We used the
IRIS to measure the spectrum over a narrow slit. The double-component Gaussian
fitting method was used to extract the line profile of Fe XXI 1354.08 A at "O
I" window. The quasi-periodicity of loop oscillations were identified in the
Fourier and wavelet spectra. Results. A periodicity at about 40 s is detected
in the line properties of Fe XXI, HXR emissions in GOES 1-8 A derivative, and
Fermi 26-50 keV. The Doppler velocity and line width oscillate in phase, while
a phase shift of about Pi/2 is detected between the Doppler velocity and peak
intensity. The amplitudes of Doppler velocity and line width oscillation are
about 2.2 km/s and 1.9 km/s, respectively, while peak intensity oscillate with
amplitude at about 3.6% of the background emission. Meanwhile, a quasi-period
of about 155 s is identified in the Doppler velocity and peak intensity of Fe
XXI, and AIA 131 A intensity. Conclusions. The oscillations at about 40 s are
not damped significantly during the observation, it might be linked to the
global kink modes of flaring loops. The periodicity at about 155 s is most
likely a signature of recurring downflows after chromospheric evaporation along
flaring loops. The magnetic field strengths of the flaring loops are estimated
to be about 120-170 G using the MHD seismology diagnostics, which are
consistent with the magnetic field modeling results using the flux rope
insertion method.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, 1 table, accepted by A&
Negative-Index Refraction in a Lamellar Composite with Alternating Single Negative Layers
Negative-index refraction is achieved in a lamellar composite with
epsilon-negative (ENG) and mu-negative (MNG) materials stacked alternatively.
Based on the effective medium approximation, simultaneously negative effective
permittivity and permeability of such a lamellar composite are obtained
theoretically and further proven by full-wave simulations. Consequently, the
famous left-handed metamaterial comprising split ring resonators and wires is
interpreted as an analogy of such an ENG-MNG lamellar composite. In addition,
beyond the effective medium approximation, the propagating field squeezed near
the ENG/MNG interface is demonstrated to be left-handed surface waves with
backward phase velocity.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figure
Effects of relative orientation of the molecules on electron transport in molecular devices
Effects of relative orientation of the molecules on electron transport in
molecular devices are studied by non-equilibrium Green's function method based
on density functional theory. In particular, two molecular devices, with the
planer Au and Ag clusters sandwiched between the Al(100) electrodes
are studied. In each device, two typical configurations with the clusters
parallel and vertical to the electrodes are considered. It is found that the
relative orientation affects the transport properties of these two devices
completely differently. In the Al(100)-Au-Al(100) device, the conductance
and the current of the parallel configuration are much larger than those in the
vertical configuration, while in the Al(100)-Ag-Al(100) device, an
opposite conclusion is obtained
Akurasi Sistem Registrasi Kematian dan Penyebab Kematian (Studi Tipikal Sejumlah Daerah di Indonesia) Masih Perlu Banyak Peningkatan: Sistem Registrasi Kematian dan Penyebab Kematian di Beberapa Daerah, Indonesia 2014
Death Registrations System and Cause of Death are fundamental in creating demographic andepidemiological measures needed by regional planning in various sectors, such as education,employment and health. The aims of this study are to address the strengths and weaknesses of the Death Registrations System and Causes of Death in several regions in Indonesia; so they will know the areas that require improvement and actions that need to be done. The current system status is determined using a rapid assessment which has been developed by WHO and Health Information Systems Knowledge Hub, from the University of Queensland (2010a). Twenty-five questions were discussed by participants consisting of 2–4 groups of senior staffs responsible for various aspects ofthe Death Registration System and Cause of Death. The assessment was conducted in 13 districts/municipalities in 2014. As a result, there are still some aspects of the function of the system should beimproved. Regions with a high enough value is Surakarta (80%) and Yogyakarta (68%) included in thecategory of moderate or 65–84; functional but not sufficient. The average area with values below 64%,is classified as weak. There are variations in the strength and a weakness of each region. It is importantto develop appropriate strategies to obtain Death Registrations System and Cause of Death better.Keywords: rapid assessment, Death Registrations and Cause of Death, Indonesia
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High Sensitivity Hot-wire based Wind Velocity Sensor using Co-doped Fiber and Fiber Bragg Grating for use in mining applications
In this paper, a mathematical model of the temperature distribution in a fiber-optic version of the familiar 'hot-wire' wind velocity sensor has been established and a practical sensor device realized and investigated for use in coal mining applications. The relationship between the dynamic measurement range, the sensitivity, the sensor probe surface heat transfer coefficient and the wind speed (in the region where the sensor probe is located) has been investigated. The veracity of the predicted performance of the fiber-optic hot-wire mathematical model has then been verified by experiment. The sensitivity of the sensor probe to wind velocity was measured across several wind velocity ranges to be ∼1500pm per unit m/s wind velocity (in the range of 0 - 0.5 m/s), ∼330pm per unit m/s in the range 0.5 - 2 m/s and ∼50pm per unit m/s in the range of 2.0 - 4.5 m/s
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